The embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to an unobtrusive and easily deployed cargo restraint device capable of restraining items placed onto a vehicle seat. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cargo restraint device that is configured to keep said cargo from slipping or falling off a vehicle's seat while maintaining accessibility to said cargo, and allowing for the full use of the vehicle seat for passengers without the need to remove the cargo restraint device.
An empty seat in a vehicle is often used as a place to temporality place or store cargo. Typically, the operator of a vehicle simply places cargo, such as groceries, a briefcase, a purse, electronic device, or other object or objects on the seat of the vehicle and drives away. Often, when the vehicle undergoes a turn or sudden stop, cargo placed or stored on a seat will shift, fall over or fall off said seat due to the laws of momentum, gravity and/or centrifugal force, thereby possibly damaging the cargo and/or the vehicle and distracting the vehicle's driver. To prevent the shifting or falling of items placed or stored on a vehicle seat, the driver of a moving vehicle often reaches over, instinctively, while operating the vehicle to catch or manually restrain the shifting cargo, thereby distracting the driver and increasing the risk of unsafe vehicle operation.
It is an object of embodiments disclosed herein to provide a simple, unobtrusive, cost-efficient and effective cargo restraint device for a vehicle seat that is simple to install and does not have to be removed from a vehicle seat when said seat is occupied by a vehicle passenger.
Cargo restraint devices for vehicle seats are known. Existing cargo restraints however, have numerous disadvantages when compared to the disclosed embodiments. Existing cargo restraint devices for vehicles seats are cumbersome, large, and have to be removed from the seat in order for a passenger to occupy said seat. Moreover, other currently known cargo restraints cover the cargo in such a manner that said cargo cannot be accessed while it is secured or restrained by said device. Other currently known devices have to be permanently installed or mounted to the seat or seat frame and/or are otherwise time consuming to implement or install.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,742,837 titled CARGO SEAT NETTING SYSTEMS discloses a “car seat system including a car seat assembly having a horizontal seat portion with a front edge and a rear edge and a vertical back portion with a top edge and a bottom edge. A sheet assembly includes a front sheet portion positionable above the front edge of the seat portion and side sheet portions positionable above the side edges of the seat portion. A tube assembly includes at least one vertical tube with the sheeting assembly coupled thereto. The tube is positionable adjacent to the seat portion. A securement assembly couples the sheeting assembly and tube in position with respect to the seat portion.”
In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,350 titled PARCEL RESTRAINT FOR AUTOMOBILE SEAT discloses a “device for restraining parcels and other objects that are typically transported in an automobile on a passenger seat. Prior art devices for holding objects from sliding off of automobile seats suffer from several disadvantages, including that they need to be removed from the seat before the seat can be occupied by a passenger. In the present invention, a neoprene (or like elastic material) belt is designed to encircle the upright portion of an automobile seat and provide a bottomless pocket with the seat back into which parcels, such as handbags, books, water bottles and the like, can be conveniently stowed and which are restrained from falling off of the seat when the automobile is brought to a halt. The pocket-forming component of the belt covers the passenger seat back support and is free from any seams or protrusions that would cause discomfort to a passenger.”
In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,923,356 titled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RETAINING BAGS discloses an “an apparatus and method are provided for retaining bags. The apparatus for retaining bags utilizes at least one fastener attached to a shock absorption system. The shock absorption system is coupled to a handle and a strap, such that the apparatus for retaining bags can be transported by either of the handle or strap and the strap is adaptable to fit around an automobile seat. The method for retaining bags includes securing bags to a fastener, adjusting the strap to fit a shoulder, transporting the apparatus to a vehicle, and adapting the strap to fit to the automobile seat.”
In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,309,102 titled SEAT NET discloses a “seat net prevents items placed on a bucket-style seat of an automobile from falling onto the floor, while still allowing the automobile driver convenient access to any items so placed while driving. The seat net helps drivers maintain safe driving practices by eliminating the need for drivers to lean into the passenger side of the vehicle, thereby diverting their attention from the road, to reach for fallen items. The seat net has a mesh material combined with a series of straps which allow for easy loading and retrieval of items and rapid attachment of the seat net device to bucket-style passenger seats of various sizes.”
In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,614,689 titled SEAT INTEGRATED TETHER SYSTEM discloses a “seat integrated tether system for use in a vehicle for the secure placement of an article on a vehicle seat. One or more retractable or extendable tethers are adapted for attachment to the side of the vehicle seat. By use of the system with the front passenger seat of a vehicle the driver may have ready access to the contents of the retained article, which may be an item storage article such as an open top bag, case or storage net.”
In another example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2005/0023312 A1 titled CARGO RESTRAINT AND STORAGE DEVICE AND METHOD discloses “a cargo restraint and storage device is provided for restraining and storing cargo items placed onto a front passenger seat of a vehicle, thereby restraining the cargo items from flying out of the passenger seat or shifting dangerously when a vehicle is in motion, particularly in a sudden stop or a sharp turn. In one embodiment, a cargo restraint and storage device includes a piece of flexible material having an opening for receiving at least a portion of a seat back section of a front passenger seat. The piece of flexible material has a plurality of pockets with different shapes and sizes for storing varying shapes and sizes of cargo items, thereby restraining the cargo items from flying out of the front passenger seat when a vehicle is in motion, and being accessible to a driver of the vehicle.”
In another example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2005/0230443 A1 titled BACKPACK FOR TRACTOR SEAT—CARGO CARRYING discloses a device “comprised of a pliable material main body having attached cargo pockets of pliable material and cargo tie straps. The cargo tie straps are a combination of pliable material and hook and loop fasteners. The main body incorporates two sets of adjustable fastening straps that allow it to be cinched to the back of a seat. The first of two cinch straps is made of pliable material, a buckle loop and hook and loop fasteners. The second of two cinch straps is made of elastic strips and hook and loop fasteners.”
In another example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2011/0248057 A1 titled TOTE TETHER discloses an “elongated strap with a first and second connecting snap to support one or a plurality of hanging items. Each end of the strap is folded on itself and snapped in position along the interior of the strap, forming two closed loops. The first loop may be secured by hand or to an external support, such as a vehicle seat headrest, a shopping cart or similar structure. The second loop passes through the handles of reusable grocery bags, hand bags or totes to securely hold and organize the items. The strap itself is a high strength material that can support the load of the suspended items and is adorned with a decorative pattern or color on its outer surface. In use, the device is intended to organize empty grocery totes along the outer rim of a grocery cart while shopping, as well as organize and store empty totes on the backside of a vehicle seat.”
In another example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2011/0101054 A1 titled CARGO SLING SYSTEMS discloses a “cargo sling device comprising: a removably attachable strap made from pliable material suitable to fit around a perimeter of a vehicle seat back; the removably attachable strap is used to safely restrain at least one item of interior cargo such as Kleenex®, baby supplies, lunch boxes, groceries, purses and other such items. In certain embodiments the removably attachable strap comprises a one-piece construction and in alternate embodiments comprises a bifurcated construction wherein the removably attachable strap comprises a first end and a second end. The removably attachable strap preferably comprises an elastic material suitable to stretch around the seat back and the secured items. The multi piece construction embodiment of the removably attachable strap preferably comprises at least one fastener such as a zipper, snap, clip, button or other fastener(s). The fastener(s) may be located in the front and/or the back when installed. The zipper or other fastener may be used to couple the first end and the second end of the removably attachable strap together.”
Lastly, in another example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2013/0082491 A1 titled VEHICLE SEAT ACCESSORY discloses a “vehicle seat accessories configured to secure cargo are presented including: a rectangular planar panel having a stretch property, the rectangular planar panel sized to removably wrap around a vehicle seat back, where the rectangular panel includes an upper lengthwise edge, a lower lengthwise edge, a proximal crosswise edge, and a distal crosswise edge; an upper rolled hem disposed along the upper longitudinal edge, the upper rolled hem having a stretch property; a lower rolled hem disposed along the lower longitudinal edge, the lower rolled hem having a stretch property; a first fastener element disposed along the proximal crosswise edge; and a second fastener element disposed along the distal crosswise edge, where the second fastener element is adjustably and removably mated with the first fastener element when the vehicle seat accessory is wrapped around the vehicle seat back.”
The foregoing examples demonstrate that currently known vehicle seat cargo restraint devices lack the simplicity, effectiveness and unobtrusiveness of embodiments as disclosed herein.
Therefore, there remains an unmet need for a simple to install and simple to use device that provides a user the ability to secure and/or restrain cargo on a vehicle seat to keep said cargo from slipping or falling, while said cargo remains accessible, and without the need to remove the device when the seat is used for passengers or otherwise when the device itself is not in use.